TOW The Ring
by ShropshireLass
Summary: At a family dinner to celebrate Ross and Rachel's engagement, Jack finds out that Emily still has the family wedding ring. Guess who's got to get it back? Chandler saves the day.
1. Default Chapter

**The ring**

Ross and Rachel were at their first Family dinner since getting engaged. It was yet another seal of approval on their plans. Finally, everyone seemed to be saying. What took you two so long? Why the years of mistakes and misunderstandings? But most people put those awful questions aside and congratulated them. Judy was prepared to welcome Rachel as a second daughter.

Now, at dinner, their wedding plans were being discussed. Ross and Rachel had had a few discussions. It was going to be Vegas, sober this time, or it was going to be in Central Park, or they were going to hire the Planetarium. No plan was yet fixed – they were having too much fun thinking about it, with the unexpressed agenda that their wedding would out do every other wedding – not other people's, only their own.

This time, it was going to work. No last minute running away, no lesbianism, no wrong names and no drunkeness. Ross was aware that his father was talking, but he was too busy daydreaming about Rachel to be aware of the topic of conversation until:

'Hopefully you got the ring back from Emily,' Jack finished, jolting Ross out of his mood. His father noticed his alarm and said more severely, 'You did get it back didn't you Ross?'

'Uh, what ring?' What did Emily have to do with anything? He stared at his father in consternation.

'Your grandmother's wedding ring,' Jack said, as though he was mentally subnormal, 'The only ring I've been talking about for the last ten minutes. That ring. I let you have it for your London wedding, the one that was supposed to work out all right until you messed up your lines. That ring.'

'Oh.' Ross searched his memory. Out of all the thoughts he'd had about that episode of his life, that was one thing that had never crossed his mind.

'So, you got it back,' his father prompted. She didn't give it back to him in person, because they never saw each other again and he'd remember if she posted it back, wouldn't he?

'Uh – uh, no, I didn't.' He frowned. He really couldn't remember anything about it. Had he even asked for it back?

'I don't know that Brit chick's family ripped off I don't know how much from this family and she's kept the ring at well,' Jack snapped.

'I think you're entitled to if you divorce because it's a gift,' Chandler said without thinking.

'Shut up, this was a family heirloom,' Jack snarled at him. To Ross he said, 'Your grandmother came to this country with nothing but the clothes on her back and that ring. We gave it to you to give your wife – she was supposed to be your one and only except you, the genius, messed it up – '

'Jack – ' Judy said.

'He messed it up,' he turned to her briefly before addressing his son again, 'And you just let her keep the ring, knowing that it was an important family heirloom.'

'Maybe she refused to give it back,' Rachel said, not liking this attack on Ross. She looked at him. That would be like Emily, wanting everything her own way.

'Ah.' Ross said. He'd remembered.

'What?' Jack demanded. But his father wasn't going to like the truth.

'I er remember now.' He was looking very sheepish, but it was too late, he was going to have to tell.

'What?'

'Well I told her to keep it.'

'What did you do that for it's a family heirloom!' his father exploded. Both Ross and Monica sat back suddenly in their chairs while Rachel and Chandler looked surprised.

'I didn't exactly say keep it, it was more – well she'd just told me she was getting married again and she said she'd send the ring back and I said don't bother since she was going to need it again.' He'd thought he was being really smart, saying that. It had certainly annoyed Emily at the time, making her hang up on him. It had never crossed his mind that he would need it again. Then, he was never going to get married again, unlike certain other people. Now, his idea for Rachel had been something new.

'Oh Ross,' his mother said.

'So she's got it,' Ross finished.

'You don't think she actually used it did you?' Monica asked with distaste. 'That would be so, so Tacky.'

'I don't know,' Ross said. It would definitely be weird.

'Well you never know with that family,' Jack said. 'Maybe she sold it.'

'If she did, there won't be much I can do about it,' Ross said.

'You'll have to find out,' Jack said.

'What?' Ross asked in shock.

'Find out. Call her or write to her and ask what she did with it and if she's still got it get her to send it back,' Jack said, as if it was as easy as all that.

'I can't do that,' Ross said, appalled. Rachel was equally appalled. There was no way he'd ever be communicating with Emily again, no way. How could anyone suggest it? After last time, it had all been so traumatic. And Ross hadn't heard her voice on the answermachine like Rachel had. Sure, it was years and years ago, but what if she felt the same way? What if she tried to inveigle Ross? What if…

'Why not?' Jack demanded.

'Well I – I don't want to speak to her again,' Ross said. Rachel was relieved that Ross so clearly felt the same way. They had come a long way to be where they were now, but years of insecurities didn't just go away because she had been given an engagement ring. His being divorced three times, and her being divorced once and a wedding escapee once left scars.

'It shouldn't make any difference to you after all this time,' his father said. Rachel looked at Ross sharply. Perhaps she shouldn't be relieved that he was so obviously reluctant. Maybe he was protesting too much… 'If you don't, the ring is gone for good.'

'It could still be gone for good,' Ross said. 'She might have sold it, she might have lost it, she might just refuse.'

'We'll worry about that when the time comes,' his father said.

'I wanted to get Rachel a new ring,' Ross said in a last ditch effort. 'A new ring, a new start.' The less baggage from the past, the better.

'Even if you don't want it back for yourself you should get it back. That was my mother's ring and I expect you to make the effort. It's the least you could do after just giving it away like that, and letting me in for the whole cost of that wedding. It was only going to be half and then you had to get the names wrong. I couldn't stand that Waltham guy but after what you did to his daughter – I hope you don't plan to do the same thing this time.' Jack shot a look at Rachel, 'That'd be something, if he said 'Emily' this time around.' Rachel suppressed a shudder. It would be awful! But unlike Emily, she'd forgive Ross… probably.

'Yeah okay Dad, I'll ask her what she did with the ring,' Ross said.

'And if she's still got it, ask for it back,' Jack emphasised.

'Yes Dad.' An oppressive weight had descended on Ross. He wasn't looking forward to it.


	2. Chapter 2

**One Little Letter**

'So,' Chandler said, when he and Monica arrived at Ross and Rachel's apartment, two nights later, 'Have you written it yet?'

'No,' Ross moaned. 'I can't think what to say.'

'I think it's easy,' Rachel said, 'Just write, "Give me the ring, bitch."' She helped Chandler and Monica settle into their main area. She was proud of the home she'd set up with Ross. They had decided, after she had got off the plane, that the three of them needed somewhere bigger so they had moved into a different apartment. They weren't ready to move out to Westchester and suburbia, although Rachel could see a day when they'd want to do that. Maybe when their family got bigger – certainly when Emma got older and wanted more space than an apartment could provide, even an apartment like this one.

'All it needs is one sentence, one minute, one stamp on the envelope and it's gone,' Rachel said firmly. Chandler smiled,

'Yeah, but it's not exactly persuasive is it, Rach? If you just insult her there's absolutely no chance she'd help out.'

'She'd just tear my letter up and toss it in the trash,' Ross agreed, 'I've got to write something that will persuade her to give it back to me. I just can't think of what to say.'

'Are you sure there's no way she can be forced to give it up?' Monica asked. 'The ring has nothing to do with her any more. She shouldn't be allowed to keep it, that's just wrong.'

'I've checked,' Ross said, 'It cost me five hundred dollars to get a lawyer to find out for me. In New York, and in England, there's no way I can force her to give up the ring.'

'New York?' Rachel frowned, 'You mean it might be different in Jersey?'

'I don't know,' Ross said, 'I didn't think it was worth another five hundred dollars to find out.'

'What would they do in LA?' Chandler mused, 'Maybe they'd saw the ring in half and give half to each party.'

'Chandler!' Monica snapped, 'This isn't funny. This is our Grandmother's wedding ring. She came to this country with nothing but that ring and the clothes on her back. It's a family heirloom. If you can't take this seriously then please don't say anything at all.'

'Hey,' Chandler said, raising both hands peaceably. 'I was just wondering that's all. At the moment, it seems to me that we can't do anything about it.'

'We have to, I've got to get that ring back,' Ross said fiercely.

'If she's still got it,' Chandler reminded him. It seemed to Chandler that they were supposing a lot of things that had yet to be proved. If Emily didn't have the ring any more, it was lost forever and there was nothing any of them, even Jack, could do about it. Privately, Chandler thought that Ross and Rachel should use a new ring anyway, to make a fresh start.

'Don't say that,' Monica said fretfully.

'But Monica, think,' Chandler said, 'Why would she want to keep that wedding ring? If she married again, why would she want a ring from a marriage that didn't work out.'

'Who knows why Emily might want or not want to do anything,' Monica said, 'She was crazy enough to leave a message on the answer machine for Ross wanting to talk to him the day before her wedding. Can you imagine that?'

'She did?' Chandler was surprised and looked at Ross for confirmation. 'Wow, what did she say?'

'I don't know exactly what she said,' Ross said, 'Because I didn't actually hear it. The message got wiped by mistake.'

'How?'

'Never mind how. But I heard about it,' Ross said.

'Did you call her back?' Chandler asked curiously.

'No!' Ross exclaimed. 'What would have been the point? I'd just been getting over that whole business – you know that day when we nearly got killed. I was thinking that day that maybe I should try again, but I was only thinking that because I just felt bad about the way it ended, not because I actually wanted to because…' he trailed off in a verbal tangle and said instead, 'To call her back would have just opened all that up again and I didn't want to anyway.' He put his head in his hands. 'I don't want to contact her now.'

'It's just a letter, Ross,' Chandler said. 'You don't have to hear her voice or see her.'

'No,' Rachel said firmly, 'You don't have to see her. It's just one question you want the answer to. Has she got the ring, and if so, will she give it back?'

'That's two questions, sweetie,' Ross said with a tired smile. 'You're right though. It's only a letter. It's a piece of paper and a pen and I just have to write it.'

'That's right, you've done it before,' Chandler said, 'Just make sure no ducks are around to poop on it, and you'll be fine.'

'Did you ever send that letter?' Monica asked.

'Yeah.'

'What did she do?'

'She sent it back to me,' Ross said.

'Shredded?'

'No, unopened,' he said. The others looked downcast, thinking of the fate of this yet to be written letter about the ring. 'But there was duck poop on the envelope. There won't be any this time. In fact,' Ross said, 'I'll write that letter now.' He went over to a side table and brought back some paper and a pen. Chandler and Monica noticed the wastepaper basket with the scrunched up efforts of previous attempts. 'So,' Ross said, leaning on the coffee table. '"Dear Emily,"'

'Why do you have to say "Dear"?' Rachel interrupted. 'She's not Dear. She's anything but Dear.'

'That's how you're supposed to begin a letter,' Ross said, 'You always start with that word, even if it's your worst enemy.'

'You'd write to Ted Bundy like that,' Monica said. Rachel laughed.

'Yeah, Ted Bundy. I'm sure Ross would rather write to Ted Bundy.'

'Ted Bundy is dead isn't he?' Chandler asked. 'I thought they executed him years ago.'

'I don't know. He's not on my Christmas card list,' Monica said sharply. 'So next you write, "I would like the wedding ring back."'

'Shouldn't you say which wedding ring?' Chandler asked. Ross glared at him.

'How many wedding rings do you think Ross has given her?' Monica asked, a little exasperated.

'She might have collected a few from other failed marriages,' Rachel said.

'I don't want to hear the words failure and marriage close to each other, if you don't mind sweetie,' Ross said. 'I've had enough of that in my life. More than enough.' Rachel hugged him,

'I'm sorry.' Ross accepted the hug and then looked at what he'd written.

'That's it?' Ross asked.

'What else would there be?' Monica asked.

'I didn't think you could write a letter with only one sentence, it's not proper. A letter is supposed to have at least two sentences.'

'Well just say you're getting married again. That's your second sentence,' Monica said. Ross winced.

'Did you have to use that word "again"?'

'Sorry,' Monica said. 'Just say that you need it because you're getting married.' Ross wrote that, and then said,

'Isn't she going to wonder who I'm getting married to?'

'That's none of her business,' Monica said.

'Does it even matter?' Chandler asked.

'Of course it matters,' Rachel said indignantly, 'it's me he's marrying.'

'It might annoy her,' Chandler said.

'She can't tell me what to do about Rachel,' Ross said, 'She tried to do that before and she's not going to do it now.' Ross added the words "to Rachel" And then, "yours truly, Ross Geller."' He put the pen down.

'Finished.' He could hardly believe it. Two days to write that. He should have asked Monica and Chandler over earlier.

'Now, how hard was that?' Chandler asked.


	3. Enemy Fire

The address was found and the letter was sent, and everyone tried to avoid talking about it for a while. It was easy enough for the first few days, the minimum time that the mail could get to England and back. Ross figured that she wouldn't be able to call him back since she wouldn't know any of his current numbers. There was no point in talking if there could be nothing to talk about.

But after a week, they were all beginning to discuss between themselves what the silence meant. Chandler, who had helped to find the address went back over his sources again to check that he had got it right.

'Maybe she's not going to answer,' Rachel said.

'She's got to answer,' Ross said, and she was shocked at how intensely he had spoken. It was almost as though she'd questioned the fact that the sun would rise tomorrow.

'If she doesn't, you did your best. Your father can't ask for more,' she said. He had to be brought back to reality.

'I don't know,' Ross said. He and Monica were taking this ridiculously seriously, in Rachel's opinion.

'Okay, you're going to get in trouble for not getting it back when you divorced her,' Rachel said, hardly believe that she was using the expression, 'get into trouble' to a grown man, 'But that will pass.'

'You don't know my father,' Ross said seriously.

'I know families,' Rachel said, 'It's always the worst thing in the world, until someone else does something, and someone else will do something because that's what families are like. Monica will do something he doesn't like, you'll see,' she said, with a private apology to Monica for these words. Though truthfully, with Chandler, the twins and their house, there wasn't much that could touch Monica these days.

Finally, Rachel found the reply in the letterbox. Tempted as she was to rip it open and read it, she gave it to Ross who announced to everyone that he had had a reply from Emily.

'Don't open it until we get there,' Monica said. So more self control was needed until everyone piled into the apartment to see what it said.

'Okay,' Ross said, waving the envelope, 'I'm going to open it now.'

'She hasn't sent the ring, I can see,' Monica said.

'Well no but it would be stupid to just send it in an ordinary envelope,' Ross said, 'This must be her telling me what she's doing about it.' Monica glanced at Rachel. What if Emily was planning to do nothing? He sat in an armchair and the others crowded around to look over his shoulder as he unsealed the envelope and opened it out.

'_Dear Ross,_

_How kind to tell me who you want the ring for. What took you so long? You always did know how to flatter a girl. It couldn't have been a problem on whatshername's side because she seemed pretty desperate enough, but with a face like hers, that's understandable._

_As for the ring, after you told me to keep it, I threw it in the pond at my parents' house in Shropshire. If you want it back you'll have to come and fish it out yourself._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Emily'_

'Oh no!' Ross said standing up, 'I don't believe this!' At the bottom of a muddy pond!

'The bitch!' Rachel swore.

'Well her attitude's pretty clear,' Monica said, taking the letter by its edges and reading it again.

'The bitch!' Rachel swore. ' "A face like hers?" "Desperate?"'

'Come and get it?' Chandler asked.

'The bitch!' Rachel swore again.

'She's seriously expecting you to go diving for that ring?' Chandler asked.

'Well I guess she's not going to go in and look for it herself,' Ross said. The only reason she had bothered to put pen to paper was in order to insult Rachel. And he'd seen a picture of that house in the country. The pond wasn't small.

'No, because she's a bitch,' Rachel said.

'Oh sweetie,' Ross said hugging her, 'You're beautiful, don't think about what she said, she hates you.'

'She's just being nasty,' Monica seconded.

'I hate her,' Rachel said. 'She's the ugly one. And desperate? – ha well she got married to someone after knowing him for – ' she broke off, aware that she was in the arms of a man who got married to someone after knowing her for only a month. His case was different of course.

'You're not going all the way to England,' Chandler said, trying to stay on course.

'I've got to get that ring back,' Ross said. Rachel looked up at him.

'No Ross, you're not going to go. This is just a ring, I can have anything for a ring.'

'It's not just you though,' Ross said.

'Well tell your father you won't do it,' Rachel said. 'Break free!' Monica and Ross just looked at her.

'Dad's been ringing me every day to find out if Emily answered my letter yet. I'm not going to be able to refuse,' Ross said.

'Dad has been ringing me every day to ask the same question,' Monica confirmed.

'Lie,' Rachel said, 'Say she told you to get lost. Everyone will believe that. She practically did tell you to get lost. See, "Ring in pond" translates as "Go jump." It wouldn't be a lie, not really.'

'He'll want to see the letter,' Monica said.

'I can't lie to my dad,' Ross said, 'I'm just no good at it. He'll see through me in a second.'

'Okay so you've got to try to get the ring out of that pond,' Chandler said, 'Easy. Get a professional diver. You don't have to go yourself.'

'That's a great idea,' Ross said. 'It can't be more expensive than me going out there and doing it myself, and I know I'd never find it.'

'That's all you need to do,' Chandler said, while Monica looked at him proudly. He was her man, her very intelligent man. 'So write back to her and tell her that you'll arrange a diver.'

'I don't want to write to her,' Ross said, 'Not after what she said about Rachel.'

'Well you'll have to,' Monica said.

'I'll just get mad at her and then she'll get mad at me and not co-operate…' He'd made his first mistake in making a smart remark to Emily about the ring in the first place. Then there had been his letter to her. On reflection, it had probably been a mistake to mention Rachel.

'I'll write the letter,' Chandler said, 'You leave it to me. I'll write it, you copy it and send it without adding anything.' He said the last bit with emphasis and then went over to a table, searched around for paper and a pen, and on finding these sat down to write. 'Go away,' he said when they tried to look over his shoulder.

When he was finished, he showed them the result.

_Dear Emily,_

_I will arrange for a diver to come and get the ring out of the pond. Please tell me the address of your parents' place. I will let you know the arrangements as soon as they are finalised._

_Yours truly,_

_Ross.'_

'Hey there's nothing in there about me,' Rachel said, 'You should have put something in there about me.' Chandler said,

'Like what?'

'Like a sentence at the end mentioning how once Ross has the ring back he can get married to his beautiful and talented fiancee who is better than any woman that Ross has had to do with before, especially British ones with names beginning with E and ending in Y.'

'Rachel, do you think that would help?' Chandler asked. 'I just wanted to make it simple and businesslike. Then you should get a simple and businesslike answer in return.'

They did.

'_Dear Ross,_

_my parents find the idea of professional divers unacceptable. You will have to come and find the ring yourself. The weather is still quite warm. You will need to provide me with one week's notice of your arrival.'_

_Emily.'_


	4. Silent Benefactor

**Silent Benefactor**

So Ross, Chandler, Monica and Rachel visited what it is often regarded as the loveliest county in England. They were there for business only, and after their difficulties in finding the house, not least because of absent signposts on country lanes, were in no mood to appreciate the beauty around them. They had already taken several wrong turnings and the trouble was, it took a long time before they realised that each of them had gone wrong. The big problem was that Emily's family were only there part of the time and weren't well known.

'Are they even there at all?' muttered Rachel. She had made herself up with care today, making sure that when Emily saw her, it would be very clear that there was nothing wrong with her looks. But they were there, and finally they got their hire car to the front gate of the house.

Emily opened the door to their knocking. She stared at them and for a moment, Rachel wondered whether something was wrong with her makeup after all. She was standing at the back of the group, not really wanting to look at Emily, but unable to have a good look, out of curiosity. She'd have like it if Emily had put on weight, but if anything, she seemed to have lost it.

'I still can't believe that you actually came for that ring,' Emily said.

'I didn't come for the ring, I came for Rachel,' Ross said, making sure that she knew where his priorities were.

'Nice to see that you're able to put yourself out for somebody,' Emily said.

'Well it's more than you managed,' Ross said.

'I answered your letter,' Emily pointed out.

'We're the ones who have to dive in the water.'

'You're the ones who want the ring.'

'You put it there,' Ross said.

'It _was_ mine,' Emily said.

'Well you could have - '

'Please,' Chandler said, 'Could we just get started? The sooner we start, the sooner we finish and the sooner we can all go home.'

'Suits me,' Emily said. 'Just go round the side.' She pointed to the left. 'The pond is at the back, you can't miss it.' She closed the door.

'Well that was charming,' Monica said to the closed door. 'She could have asked us in.' They were all feeling tired and thirsty before they started.

'I don't want to go in. I just want to get the ring and go back.' Rachel said.

'Yes, come on,' Chandler said, and to Ross, 'What did you start arguing with her for?' They walked around the side of the house. 'We need her co-operation.'

'I didn't argue with her, she argued with me,' Ross said.

'What if she'd changed her mind?' Chandler argued, 'She could have had us thrown off the property.' They reached the back and stared at the pond.

'Oh,' Monica said. As ponds went, this one was big. And not only was it big, it looked like a natural pond. If so, there would be no concrete bottom. The bottom of the pond would be mud.

Three hours of trawling the waters of the pond had passed and they had not got anywhere, although Chandler and Ross, after much arguing had devised a system of searching where they could avoid searching the same place twice.

'I'm tired,' Monica said. They had all been tired long ago, but had avoided complaining about it until then.

'You two go and rest on the bank,' Ross said. Muddy all over, Rachel and Monica climbed out of the pond. Monica had dressed for it; Rachel had dressed to impressed. Both were cold, and both looked unimpressive, except to a loving eye.

'If only I could have a glass of water,' Rachel said. 'I can't exactly ask for one though.' She glanced at the back of the house, where the doors and windows were resolutely closed to them.

'I'll try,' Monica said, getting up. 'It's only water, not her best wine.' Rachel waited in suspense until Monica returned from the back door.

'No water.'

'Apparently the tap is good enough for us.' The tap stood at once corner of the house.

'The bitch!' Rachel fumed.

'Don't say that too loudly. Save it for when we've got the ring,' Monica advised.

'I'm gonna make mud pies and throw them at the house, that's what I'll do,' Rachel said. 'I've had it with this place and with this farce.'

'Why don't we go back to the village and get some food?' Monica suggested.

'You think they'll serve us, looking like this?' Rachel asked. She was sure her clothes were ruined.

'We'll clean up as best we can, and then we'll go.' Rachel went to the tap, while Monica explained to the others what they were going to do.

Down at the village, Rachel and Monica found themselves the objects of scrutiny, and they hurried into the local shop.

'Ugh, what's that smell?' a teenaged boy said when they came in.

'That was you mate,' said his friend, 'Stop eating baked beans, why don't you,' but then the youths noticed Monica and Rachel and sniggered. Thankfully they left the shop. Monica and Rachel gritted their teeth, chose their purchases and brought them to the counter.

'So you've come down from the Laurels have you?' said the shopkeeper, being careful not to touch their hands.

'Yes,' Rachel said.

'Come a long way,' said the shopkeeper.

'Yes.'

'They don't get many visitors here. Only the daughter, and she never comes when they're around.'

'Oh,' Rachel said. Emily must be the daughter, but she wasn't very interested in where she was in the habit of staying.

'Don't really know why they bought it,' the shopkeeper said, with an attitude of disapproval.

'When did they buy it?' Monica asked idly.

'Three years ago.'

'Three years?' said Monica outside the shop. 'Did you hear that Rachel?'

'Yes.'

'But Emily said she threw that ring in the pond. After Ross told her to keep the ring.'

'Three years…' Rachel said slowly.

'I really don't think she meant that she kept the ring for two years until her parents bought a house with a pond and then chucked it in,' Monica said, 'I think she didn't throw it in the pond at all.' Rachel was stunned.

'It's in another pond?' Nobody wanted to know about rings in other ponds.

'Maybe. Or down a drain, or in the Thames, or given away or anything. One place I bet it isn't is in that damn pond that we've been searching in for hours.'

'Oh my God, we came all the way to England, spent hours looking for the place and spent hours in the pond, because she lied to us?'

'That's about the size of it,' Monica said grimly.

Meanwhile, at the pond side, Emily had approached.

'Er, Ross?' she said tentatively.

'What?' Ross said impatiently. If she'd been more helpful, Monica and Rachel would not have had to traipse off to the village. Would it have killed her to offer them refreshments? This was taking an unreasonable resentment to unreasonable lengths, which was all of a piece with her being unreasonable about him saying the wrong name.

'I have a confess - '

'Found it!' Chandler exclaimed, holding up something in his hand. Ignoring Emily, who was looking surprised, Ross waded over to him.

'You found it!'

'Hey don't swamp me! You'll make me drop it,' Chandler said, holding it away from him.

'I don't know how I can thank you,' Ross said.

'Don't worry, I have a list prepared,' Chandler said. Both men waded out of the water. Emily had retreated to the house by the time they came out and they had forgotten all about her. Chandler had rinsed the ring under the tap and Ross had it in his hand. At last. He and Rachel could get married.

Just then, Rachel and Monica rounded the house.

'Ross! We've got something important to tell you,' Rachel began.

'Woo Hoo!' Ross said, leaping into the air at the sight of her. 'Look at this! Chandler found it, he found the ring. I thought we'd never find it and then suddenly he goes, 'found it,' and he's holding it up. We'll go get it cleaned at the jewellers and it will be ready for our wedding!' He scooped Rachel into his arms into a hug and then waltzed around with her, rendering her speechless. 'Go on, try it on.' He was pushing it into her hand and she tried it on.

'But…' Monica said, but didn't know how to finish it. That was incredible. It had been there after all…

'Time to go,' Chandler announced.

Later, when Monica and Chandler were alone, back at their home in Westchester, twins fast asleep, Monica told him about the house.

'Don't you think it's a bit odd, that she would wait two or three years before she ditched the ring. If you're mad at someone, you don't wait around, at least, that's what someone normal would do. Or wouldn't do. Of course, Emily may not be normal, after all that whole thing with Ross's furniture.' She took a breath and wondered why Chandler wasn't jumping in with something. 'Of course, maybe someone she knew owned the house before her parents bought it. She could have chucked it in the pond then.'

'Maybe she did,' Chandler agreed at last.

It would be some years before he told her that he had bought the ring. Seeing that Ross was determined to go over there and get one out of a pond, he had decided to make sure that he found one. Even if Emily had been telling the truth, it was possible, for so many reasons that they might not be able to find it. He wanted his friends' minds set at ease. They had to go through the ordeal of looking, because otherwise someone would have suspected that he had set them up, and it was possible that they'd find the real thing.

The ordeal had also been a bonding experience for them, and something which allowed Ross to say with conviction, when he spoke to his father on the subject, that he had indeed got the ring. Chandler gambled on his father in law not wanting to examine the ring closely - it had been years since he'd seen it, and Chandler found it difficult to believe that he had ever examined it closely. The gamble paid off.


End file.
